President Museveni has appointed Richard Byarugaba, former Managing Director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and Moses Sabiti, former Country Director for Trademark Africa in Uganda and South Sudan, as Senior Presidential Advisors to the Exports and Industry Advisory Secretariat.
According to the appointment directives, the two advisors will support government efforts to strengthen Uganda’s export performance by providing strategic guidance on export financing, infrastructure development, data systems, and product aggregation.
The appointments reinforce the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), which was established in March 2022 to address persistent challenges affecting Uganda’s exports, including limited market access, standards and compliance gaps, high logistics costs, and constrained export financing.
PACEID has surpassed its initial export target of USD 6 billion, set four years ago, and has now embarked on an expanded growth agenda. The committee aims to support the creation of 1,000 new export-oriented enterprises in the agricultural and industrial sectors, with a long-term export target of USD 100 billion by 2045.
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PACEID Chairperson Odrek Rwabwogo welcomed the appointments, noting that they align with the committee’s evolving strategy.
“We thank the President for responding to our call to engage experienced professionals to support a new approach to growing Uganda’s exports,” Rwabwogo said.
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He explained that the first phase of the initiative, referred to as PACEID 1.0, focused on opening new markets, removing trade barriers, supporting export firms in priority sectors, improving compliance standards, and strengthening Uganda’s image as a competitive sourcing destination.
The second phase, PACEID 2.0, will prioritize data-driven planning, establishment of product aggregation centres to address supply constraints, and mobilization of investment financing for value addition.
Mr. Byarugaba previously served as Managing Director of Nile Bank before its acquisition by Barclays Bank and later led NSSF, where he oversaw a turnaround that saw the fund’s assets grow to more than Shs 17 trillion.
Mr. Sabiti brings over two decades of experience in public sector and trade facilitation, having served at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for 17 years before leading Trademark Africa, where he mobilized funding for border trade and immigration infrastructure in Kasese, Elegu, and Malaba.
The appointments are expected to strengthen government efforts to accelerate export-led growth, industrial development, and regional trade competitiveness.
